RESPONSE TO QUESTIONNAIRE ON IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
SUBMITTEB BY THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA TO THE UNITED NATIONS COMMISION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPEMNT (UNCSD)

Introduction

In 1992, the Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian city. The outcome of this all important conference was AGENDA 21 which was a major declaration on Environment and Development. Thereafter, there has been other summits which resulted in the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 in 1997, the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit On Sustainable Development, among others.
There has been regular review of the programme every now and then with various themes emerging. Next year, 2012, will be exactly twenty years since the first summit was held. Consequently, the next major summit has been scheduled for Rio de Janeiro again. Dubbed the UN CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, this conference will have as its themes, The Green Economy in the Context of Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication and The Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development.

As part of preparatory work to ensure that goals of the summit are achieved, the UNCSD has circulated questionnaire in five key areas to member countries. The questionnaire aims at assessing the implementation of the sustainable development agenda in member countries as well as the challenges of implementation.

The objective of the UNCSD on this questionnaire is to renew political support for sustainable development, assessing the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development.

Questionnaire B: Assessing progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development.

The objective of the UNCSD on this questionnaire is to invite member states to provide contributions on experiences, success factors, challenges and risks pertaining to General Assembly resolution?s call for assessing the progress to date and remaining gaps in implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development.
Questionnaire C: Addressing New and Emerging Challenges

The objective of the UNCSD is to invite member states to provide contributions and inputs on experiences, success factors, challenges and risks pertaining to General Assembly resolution which calls for addressing new and emerging challenges in the sustainable development agenda.

Questionnaire D: Green Economy in the Context of Sustainable development and Poverty Eradication

The objective of the UNCSD here is to invite member states to provide contributions on experiences, success factors, challenges and risks pertaining to the themes of the conference.

Questionnaire E: Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development

The objective of the UNCSD here is to invite member states to provide contributions and inputs on experiences, success factors, challenges and risks pertaining to the themes of the conference.

To respond to the five questionnaire listed above, the National Sustainable Development Committee of the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology organized a workshop for Members at Koforidua in the Eastern Region. The objective of the workshop was to provide Ghana?s response to the issues raised and also as contribution to the global report to be submitted to the UN Secretary General as part of his report to the General Assembly. What follows is a report from that workshop, focusing only on responses to the five questionnaire.

Questionnaire A: Renewing Political Commitment for sustainable development

Question 1

Are there objective ways of measuring political commitment? What are the relevant indicators? Which indicators are most useful from your perspective? {e.g., New legislations enacted, Policy announcements, Budgetary allocation and support, Prominence of relevant institutions, level of media interest, etc.}

Answer

Accurately measuring political commitments is a very difficult issue. However there exist some indicators that can be used as proxies for measuring political commitments. The most useful from our perspective are:
Policy announcements,

New legislations enacted

Budgetary allocation and support,

Prominence of relevant institutions,

Level of media interest,

Policies that have been enacted and implemented by government
Conventions, protocols, etc, signed and being implemented
Integration of tools into project cycles

Inclusion of sustainable development visions in the manifestos of political parties

Question 2

Based if possible on these indicators, how would you evaluate the national government?s political commitment today to sustainable development compared to1992? How would you evaluate the political commitment since 1992?

Answer

Since 1992 there has been tremendous effort toward realizing the goals of sustainable development in Ghana. At the international level, Ghana has ratified a number of international conventions and protocols including the UNFCCC in 1995 and also signed the Kyoto protocol in 2003, Basel Convention and Cartagena protocol on Bio-Safety, UN Convention on Desertification, Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) and actively participated in several discussions on international environmental governance. Among measures put in place to implement the sustainable development include the transformation of Environmental Protection Council (EPC), an advisory body to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - an implementing agency with powers to prosecute; creation of a sector Ministry, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology to develop policies on sustainable development as well as the numerous programmes and projects that have been implemented with bearing on sustainable development since 1992. With the establishment of EPA, undertaking Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to ensure that environmental issues are taken into consideration in the development process has been made mandatory. These mark the beginning of Ghana?s effort at embracing the concept of sustainable production and consumption.

The establishment of democratic governance through successful Presidential and Parliamentary elections in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 also provided a sound political environment which is very important for sustainable development.

To indicate a strong commitment to environmental issues, the Government of Ghana subjected the past three medium term development framework - Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (2003-2006), Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (2006-2009) and the Ghana Shared Growth Development and Agenda (GSGDA) (2010-2013) to Strategic Environmental Analysis (SEA) through the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC). In all these frameworks priority was given to water and sanitation, health, housing, education, reducing disparity in the distribution of national resources, ensuring sustainability in the use of natural resources through application of Science and Technology and Innovation, among others. Ghana also subjected itself to a peer review through the African Peers? Review mechanism (APRM) under the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD). Weaknesses in implementation and enforcement of policies have however constrained efforts in the achievement of stated objectives.

Various structures have also been established to ensure the implementation of sustainable development programmes. These include the formation of the National Climate change Committee; formation of the Environmental and Natural Resources Advisory Council (ENRAC) chaired by the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana; Preparation of the National Climate change Policy Framework (NCCPF) and the Development of the National Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA)
All these indicate that there has been some political commitment to the implementation of sustainable development policies compared to 1992. Thus, one can rate political commitment to sustainable development as satisfactory. The only problem is that low incomes and the diverse developmental challenges make it difficult for government to do more.

Question 3

What actions have been introduced in your country to strengthen political support for sustainable development?

Answer

Several policies have been introduced that directly or indirectly have bearings on strengthening political support for sustainable development. There has been improvement in both the print and electronic media in using both local and official languages to disseminate information on sustainable development by the state and private media. Ghana is in the process of passing the Right to Information Bill and the Whistle Blower?s Bill which will ensure transparency and accountability in governance and consequently reduce corruption. This will ensure efficient use of resources and make available more resources for sustainable development. There is freedom of expression in Ghana as enshrined in the constitution and people now have the right within the mandate of the law to voice out their feelings without fear of arrest. This makes it easy for citizens to critically assess government on the implementation of sustainable development agenda.
Ghana has also made institutional strengthening one of the main pillars of sustainable development in addition to the social, economic and environmental pillars. The addition of the institutional pillar is a major political commitment by the government of Ghana to tackling sustainable development issues. In line with strengthening the institutional pillar, various institutions have been created. These include the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Economic and Organized Crime Office, Savannah Accelerated Development Authority, NDPC, Commission of Human Rights and Administration Justice (CHRAJ), etc. Many policies have also been formulated to ensure the implementation of sustainable development. These include the National Environment Action Plan, National Gender and Children?s Policy, Science Innovation Policy, Gender budgeting, which deals with providing a way of assessing the impact of government revenue and expenditure on women and men, boys and girls.

Sustainable development principles were also mainstreamed in the development and implementation of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy, Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy and the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda. Also, the use of Strategic Development Assessment Tool (SDAT) has been extended to sectors and Districts. The country is also using Functional Organization Assessment Tool (FOAT) to provide assistance to District Assemblies though Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) is yet to be incorporated into FOAT processes. This tool is meant to enable the District Assemblies pull their support together to aid development. Government has also encouraged Development Partners to support Civil Society Organizations (CSO) and the private sector to develop their capacities to partner government in the implementation of the sustainable development agenda.

Question 4

Are there specific sectors or areas {Water, energy, biodiversity, other} where national political commitment to achieve sustainable development goals has been specially strong? If so, what factors explain that commitment?
At the institutional level government has developed a lot of institutions, instruments, policies and frameworks to ensure that national political commitment to achieve sustainable development goals is effective. These among others, include:

Establishment of the Ministry of Environment Science Technology (MEST);
Transformation of EPC, hitherto an advisory body to EPA, an implementing agency with powers to prosecute.
Setting up of ENRAC with the vice president of the republic as its Chairman.
Mainstreaming Gender into1 budget preparation and allocation
Institutionalization of public disclosure policies, e.g., Akoben and the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) to play the role of ?measuring rod? to measure environmental practices in the extractive and productive sectors.
The use of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as a tool to ensure sustainable development;

Preparation of the National Climate change Policy Framework;

Development of National Biodiversity Framework;

Development of Science, Technology and Innovative programmes and projects

Setting up of the National Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) for Climate change

Setting -up of the National Committee for Sustainable Development (NCSD)

Development and implementation of the GPRS 1 and GPRS II and the GSGDA

There are also specific sectors where national political commitment to achieving sustainable development goals has been strong. These include water, energy, transport, E-waste among others.

In the area of Water and Sanitation, there have been some political commitments in sustainable development. Government has establishment the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing; Community Water and Sanitation (CWSA), Water Resources Commission to provide governance in water management. Also, government has established Water and Sanitation Committees at the Districts to ensure that quality water is constantly provided at the District level. Water Resource Management (WARM) studies have also been undertaken to guide policy formulation. Restructuring of utility provision led to the establishment of the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) which regulates utility provision in urban areas including water.

In the area of energy, national political commitment to achieve sustainable development goals has also been strong though more could be done. Developments in this area include:

Creation of Renewable Energy Division and Directorate in the Ministry of Energy

Establishment of the Green Energy Fund; whereby those who generate green energy from their homes are supported. Currently, importation of solar energy panels is tax free. However, those in the rural areas do not have the capacity to bring these solar panels and are seriously exploited by businesses in this area.

In the area of environment, the government of Ghana and it Development Partners have initiated the Natural Resources and Environmental Governance (NREG) programme with prioritised activities and time-bound targets in other to reverse the persistent trend of high environmental degradation in a coordinated and sustainable manner. The Voluntary Partnership Agreement has been initiated between the government of Ghana and the European Union aimed at ensuring that timber products are obtained from certified sources. To increase the nations forest cover, the Forestry Services Division (FSD) have demarcated 1,440 hectares under the Community Forest Management Project (CFMP) and 178 hectares under FSD model plantation programmes.

To reduce emissions of carbon and nitrogen gases from inefficient combustion of old vehicles, the government has introduced high taxes on importation of old vehicles/engines. This has led to a reduction in the importation of second hand vehicles and consequently emissions. The Ministry of Transport also took its transport policy through a Strategic Environmental Assessment and Climate change mainstreaming.

To avoid Ghana being used as a dumping ground for e-waste, there is a draft legislation that bans the importation of E-waste into the country. Targets have also been set to phase out particular electrical goods. For example by 2012 there will be a ban on the importation of used fridges and air conditioners. Furthermore, Government is promoting alternative source of energy use such as solar, wind, mini hydro, biomass, gas and waste to energy, which are environmentally friendly and has the capacity to mitigate Climate change.

Question 5

What examples or experience from other areas demonstrate how political support for critical issues was enhanced. (eg. MDGs, Climate change)? How could they be applied to sustainable development?

Answer

There are examples or experience from other areas that demonstrate how political support for critical issues was enhanced. One example is the development and implementation of the GPRS 1. At the international level mention could be made of the implementation of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone layer and its Amendments.
Specifically, the GPRS I was formulated and implemented by the Government of Ghana from 2003-2006. Though there were direct and indirect donor influences, there exist several evidences both at the micro and at the macro levels that suggest that the formulation and implementation of the framework was very successful. It has been argued that the success can be attributed to international support and good will, good leadership and commitment and the goodwill and support of the people of Ghana

Reasons attributed to the success of the implementation of the Montreal Protocol is the availability of cheap alternative to the use of CFCs and the strong leadership role played by the leading producers of CFC - USA, Russia and Japan, especially USA in the implementation of the Convention. Lessons that could be learnt for these programs are:
Strong leadership role and commitment by leading polluters especially the USA at least on ethical grounds is imperative
Strong international support and goodwill is key

Good local leadership role and commitment to sustainable development
Goodwill and support by the people of Ghana is key to the successful implementation of the sustainable development agenda

Question 6

Looking forward to the next ten years, what are your government?s highest priorities for accelerating
progress towards sustainable development?

Answer

Over the next ten years, the government?s highest priorities for accelerating progress towards
sustainable development would be the reduction of poverty through pro-poor growth strategies. Key
areas that will be tackled to address poverty will include water, energy, waste management and
sanitation, aforestation, urban development, health, education, among others. All these will be geared
towards the current high unemployment that threatens to put pressure on resource use.

Question 7

How can international cooperation strengthen support for sustainable development? What are your
expectations for UNCSD in this regard?

Answer

International cooperation has a significant role to play in the area of strengthening support for
sustainable development. Many African governments understand the need to develop sustainably and
would have loved to make total political commitment to the idea. However the short term political cost
of implementing sustainable development policies is quite enormous. We expect a more vigorous role
emerging from UNCSD where politicians will be supported to consider issues of sustainable
development as important as other areas of the national development. Specifically, Ghana expects the
following support from the UNCSD:

· Capacity development

· Technical Assistance

· Technology transfer

· Financial Instruments (ODA; Overseas Donor Support, FDI)

· Promotion of networking

· South - South cooperation

· North ? South Cooperation

Question 8

Among your country?s senior policy makers, would you say the predominant view of the three pillars
of sustainable development is that:

there are difficult trade ?offs among them?

they are strongly complementary?

(Please briefly elaborate on your answer)

Answer

Among Senior Policy makers there seem to be a mixed view on this issue. Many senior policy makers
acknowledges that there are difficult trade-offs and sometimes serious sacrifices to be made. The tradeoffs
more exist between the economic pillar and the other two pillars. Specifically, more attention is
focused on GDP growth at the expense of the other two pillars. According to the Ghana Shared Growth
and Development Agenda, 2010, Ghana?s current pattern of development puts a lot of stress on the
environment with the total economic cost of poor environmental management and sanitation amounting
to about 10% of Ghana?s GDP. This can be seen more in areas like mining, especially in forest reserves
where the economic pillar has the upper hand over the social and environmental pillars. Others, also
believe that these is a complementarities among the three pillars of sustainable development.
In a gist, looking at policy formulation one can conclude that many Senior Policy makers are more
tilted toward the view that these is a strong complementary of the three pillars of sustainable development than the existence of difficult trade ?offs among them. But in policy implementation the
reverse could be that case. This to some extent could be attributed to the financial constraints.

Questionnaire B: Assessing the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of
the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development

Question 1

What indicators or information on sustainable development have proven to be most useful for assessing
gaps and progress towards sustainable development?

Answer

There are many indicators or information on sustainable development that are very useful in
assessing gaps and progress towards sustainable development. These among others include:

· Monitoring and evaluation indicators being more quantitative than qualitative

· Number of Capacity Development programs for policy makers

· Capacity development programmes for of Civil Society organizations (CSO)

· Number of green taxes introduced

· Amount realized in green taxes

· Cases resolve by the Judiciary and other enforcement agencies on environmental issues

· Structures established at the regional and district levels to address sustainable development
issues

· Number of education and awareness programmes

· Budgetary allocation to sustainable development programmes

In general the proper collection of information of sustainable development indicators chosen by Ghana
will greatly help to assessing gaps and progress towards sustainable development

Question 2

Please rank in order of importance 1= most important. Please also attach or provide a link to relevant
statistical databases.

Based as far as possible on these indicators, please provide an assessment of the progress made towards
sustainable development over the past 18 years (1992-2010), (a) at the level of your country (where
applicable) and (b) globally. Please attach any relevant technical studies or policy analysis. For each,
kindly provide the original article or url, and enter a short abstract.

Answer

In general Ghana has made some substantial efforts in achieving sustainable development looking at
the resource constraints and other major development challenges that confronts the country. These can
be seen from all the policies, programmes, plans and projects that has early been discussed. According
to the World Bank ?Despite challenges, Ghana is one of four countries in sub-Saharan Africa on track
to meet the Millennium Development Goal for safe drinking water by 2015?. It is evident that more can
be done if efforts are made at improving efficiency in expenditure so that more resources will be
available for the implementation of the sustainable development agenda. Detail assessment of progress
made towards sustainable development over the past 18 years is quite difficult to come by. However,
works in the following sites points to the marginal success that Ghana is making:

http://www.ndpc.gov.gh/GPRS/Simplified%202009%20APR%20-Final.pdf;

http://www.ndpc.gov.gh/

http://www.afdb.org/en/documents/#c

http://go.worldbank.org/N7TQDIGV60

Question 5

What factors explain progress in implementation? Please rank in order of importance.

(Each of these has been important. Many are also complementary and thus difficult to rank in order.)

1. Generalized economic growth and prosperity

2. Investment in technical and institutional capacity

3. Financial support from international sources

4. Use of integrated strategies

5. Other; please specify.

Answer

As indicated there exist many factors that explain progress in implementation. In order of decreasing
importance the factors that explain progress in implementation can be ranked as follows:

1. Generalised economic growth and prosperity

2. Financial support from international sources

3. Investment in technical and institutional capacity

4. Use of integrated strategies

5. Political support

Question 6

Has your government introduced integrated planning and decision making for sustainable
development? If so, under what title (NSDS, PRSP, Five year plan, NCs or NEAP, other)? What are the
lessons from this experience?

Answer

The government of Ghana has introduced integrated planning and decision making for sustainable
development. Even though there was a National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP), integrated
planning could more be seen in the formulation and implementation of the Ghana Vision 2020 which
was a long term plan and its medium term frameworks, Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (2003-
2006), Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (2006-2009) and the current Ghana Shared Growth and
Development Agenda (2010-2013). The last three documents have increasingly been subjected SEA
There exist several lessons that could be drawn from the formulation and implementation of the GPRS
1, GPRS 2 and the GSGDA. These among others include:

· Public participation brings about commitment to implementation of programmes and projects
and proper utilisation of project facilities.

Are there examples of strong public-private partnership for sustainable development in your country?
How have these been promoted?

Answer

There have been some strong public-partner partnerships for sustainable development. For example
governments have sourced funding for the private sector to undertake waste management activities.
Also, government has sources funding for the private financial sector for on-lending in aforestation
projects on concessionary terms. There has also been tree planting programme where the planter owns
the tree with government providing free seedlings for communities and at subsidized prices to
organizations as well as technical advice and other inputs such as cutlass, hoes, boots, etc. Government
has also privatised the management of some environmental resources such as parks, beaches etc. These
have been promoted through fora and discussions with the private sector though not as required.

Question 8

Is the technical assistance from UN system entities a key factor in explaining progress with sustainable
development? If so, in what areas or sectors (e.g., MDGs, water, energy, health, agricultural,
biodiversity, forests, Climate change, jobs, other)?

Answer

It is evident that assistance from UN system entities is a key factor in explaining progress with regards
to sustainable development, though more can be done if there is better coordination. The UN system
has supported Ghana government in many areas including water, energy, health, agricultural,
biodiversity, forestry, Climate change, among others. All these will make it possible for Ghana to
achieve some of the MDG targets.

Question 9

What are the major barriers to implementation? Please rank in order of importance 1 = most important.

1. Human and institutional capacity for on-the-ground implementation and monitoring

2. Inadequate public awareness or engagement

3. Problems created by slow growth

4. Inadequate coordination between ministries

5. Lack of data (accessibility)

6. Low political priority for integrated decision making

7. Inadequate or unpredictable international support

8. Other; please specify

Answer

In order of decreasing importance the major barriers to implementation can be ranked as follows:

1. Inadequate financial recourses

2. Human and Institutional capacity for on-the-ground implementation and monitoring

3. Inadequate public awareness or engagement

4. Inadequate coordination between ministries

5. Lack of data (accessibility)

6. Low political priority for integrated decision making

7. Inadequate or unpredictable international support

8. Problems created by slow growth

Question 10

What steps need to be taken to address these barriers in an effort to bridge the implementation gaps?

Answer

There are several steps that need to be taken to address these barriers in an effort to bridge these
specific implementation gaps. Table 1 summarizes the various steps.

Table 1:Ssteps needed to address specific implementation gaps.

-Inadquate financial resources

- Improve efficiency of expenditure and reduce corruption in order to make more resources available for sustainable development

-Encourage the use of technology since its increases efficiency

- International community to honor pledges made

- Human and Institutional capacity for on-the-ground implementation and monitoring

- Develop more capacities and re-orient tertiary education to the needs of the labour market

- Turn many components of policies into laws to make it mandatory for government and to reduce the powers of politicans

- Incease advocacy on sustainable development issues

- Inadequate or unpredictable international support

- Effective monitoring should be put in place by the international commmunity to ensure that pledges are honored

- Problems created by slow growth

- Shift from the current situtation of being a primary resource producer to a producer of manufacturing prodcuts. This is the sure way of increasing value addition, employment and enhancing growth

- Inadequate coordination between ministries

- Make coordination mandatory in all programmes and projects

Question 11

What are the main difficulties experienced in promoting integrated planning and decision-making?

Answer

The main difficulties experienced in promoting integrated planning and decision-making include:

· The time consuming nature of integrated planning

· Resource constraints

· High cost involved in integrated planning

· Unavailability and inadequacy of data for planning

· Inadequate capacity for planning

· Poor commitment on the part of stake holders to fulfill obligations

Question 12

What further actions could be taken to promote effective voluntary actions and partnerships?

Answer

The following actions could be taken to promote effective voluntary actions and partnerships:

· Build the capacity of the private sector especially CSOs to enable them engage with the public
sector

· Build networks that can support sustainable development

· Increase sensitization and awareness on sustainable development creation

· Promote volunteerism in communities

· Provide incentive to the private sector to venture into sustainable development projects
Question 13

What are the risks to sustain progress towards convergence among the 3 pillars of sustainable
development?

Answer

The risks to sustain progress towards convergence among the 3 pillars of sustainable development
include:

· The difficult Trade-offs and sacrifices that is to be made may go against the environment

· Political will to re-enforce environmental pillar in the midst of diverse economic and social
challenges

· Commitment by the public and private sectors to sustainable development in the midst of
diverse social and economic challenge

· Growing problems in the developed world may reduce commitment to sustainable development

Questionnaire C: Addressing new and emerging challenges

Question 1

What five new emerging challenges are likely to affect both significantly your countrys prospects for
sustainable development in the coming decade? Please rand in order of importance.

Answer

Five new emerging challenges that are likely to affect Ghanas prospects for sustainable development
in the coming decade in order of decreasing importance are Climate change ,Energy Crisis, Increasing
environmental degradation (land, water and air), Reduction in availability of Overseas Development
Assistance (ODAs) due to recent economic meltdown and Increasing urban inequality and
vulnerability

Question 2

What mechanisms have been put in place to address these challenges: At local level? At the national
level?

Answer

Ghana has realized the impact of these new emerging challenges and has put in place several
mechanisms both at the local and national level to address these challenges. Table 2 summarizes the
mechanisms put in place both at the local and national level to address these challenges

Table 2: Mechanism put in place by Ghana to address emerging challenges

Emerging
challenge

National Level

Local Level

Climate
Change

· Establishment at Cabinet level , The
Environment and Natural Resource
Advisory Council chaired by the Vice
President of the Republic of Ghana

· A National Climate change committee
has been put in place charged with
developing policies and programmes to
address all issues of Climate change ,both
negative and positive

· Draft national Climate change policy
framework has been designed

· Climate change has been mainstreamed
into the GSGDA

· National Climate change Adaptation and
Mitigation Strategies have been
developed

· Energy Commission has developed a
policy on alternative energy use sources

· A ban has been put on use of
incandescent bulbs

· Labeling of energy efficient air-conditioners and refrigerators to
differentiate which are environmentally
friendly or not

· Introduction of metro-mass transport
system as a measure to reduce vehicular
traffic and curb carbon emissions

· Introduction of use of capacitors by large
consumers of electricity e.g.
manufacturing industries

· Encouraging use of improved
charcoal production and
utilization

· Reduction in usage and
dependence on wood-fuelthrough promotion of use of
alternative fuels e.g. LPG

Increased
environmental degradation

· Policies, legislations and programmes
have been put in place (Water Act, Forest
and Wildlife policy, Mining Act, Timber
Resource Management Act, Use of SEAs
as a requirement in public policy
processes)

· Environmental management has been
mainstreamed at all levels

· FASDEP II -Agriculture sustainable land
management strategy and Action Plan has
been developed

· Ghana Investment Framework for
Sustainable Land Management has been
enacted

· Environmental Sanitation Policy and
Strategy has been enacted

· EPA air quality guidelines has been
developed, EPA has developed Akoben, a
?measuring rod? for environmental
practices in the productive and extractive
sectors

· EIA has been designed as a
pre requisite for the
establishment of all projects

· EPA has established
environmental management
committees in MMDAs

· Ghana Sustainable Land and
Water Management project
has been developed
District Assemblies and
NGOs have been involved
actively in addressing
environmental degradation in
the country

· Environmental bye-laws have
been enacted for all MMDAs

· District Assemblies have
departments for
environmental sanitation
officers

· Mass media has been
involved in awareness
creation programmes eg, the
Africa Farm Radio Network

· Extension officers are
mainstreaming sanitation
awareness at all levels
especially at the local and
district levels

Reduction in
availability of
Overseas
Development
Assistance
due to recent
economic
meltdown

· SADA has been introduced to bridge the
developmental gap between the three
northern regions and the south

· Life-line tariffs for low electricity
consumers has been introduced

· Draft urban policy has been developed

· NGOs building capacity at
local level to reduce rural
-urban migration

· Promotion of local
entrepreneurship by local
authorities in collaboration
with rural banks with the aim
of setting up rural and cottage
based industries

Question 3
In which of these areas has support from the international community been forthcoming? In what areas
is new or enhanced international support needed?

Answer

Support to address these new challenges from the international community has been forthcoming but
woefully inadequate to even partially address these issues. Table 3 summarizes areas where support
from the international community has been forthcoming and areas where enhanced support is required.

Table 2: Areas where support from International community has been forthcoming and areas where
enhanced support is required

Emerging Issues

Areas where support from
International community
has been forthcoming

Areas where enhanced International
support is required

Climate change

Funds available for
mitigation and adaptation

More funds needed for adaptation
measures

Energy Crisis

Funds available

· More funds needed to reduce system
losses from 25% to 18%

· Investment in generation, distribution
and transmission of energy is needed

Environmental degradation

Funds Available for projects

Sustainable funds needed for longgestation-
period projects

Reduction in availability of Overseas Development Assistance due to recent economic meltdown

Inadequate funding

Conditionality attached to the sourcing of
funds must be realistic and locally-driven

Increased urban
inequality vulnerability

· Available funds to
relocate squatters at
Sodom and Gomorrah
,two slum communities in
Accra

· Millennium city
development project

· More funds needed to improve
infrastructure in urban slums

· Need to enhance business
opportunities in rural areas ?led by
government

Question 4

What new and emerging challenges should be acted upon at UNCSD?

Answer

The importance of the emerging challenges in terms of their impact on overall sustainable development
suggest that it will benefit Ghana greatly if all the five emerging challenges identified are addressed by
UNCSD.

Question 5

What factors explain the successful ability to address new and emerging challenges?

A multiplicity of factors interplay to explain Ghanas successful ability to address these new and
emerging challenges. Table 4 provide a matrix of the factors that interplay to explain Ghanas
successful ability to address the five emerging challenges identified. In a gist, all the factors
enumerated in the column of the table are very important if Ghana is to successfully address the
emerging new challenges.

Question 6
What steps are being taken or are under consideration in your country to enhance these success factors?

Answer

The government of Ghana has taken major steps to enhance factors that explain its successful ability to
address these new and emerging challenges. These among others include:

· Pursuing a number of policy and regulatory reforms, though implementation and enforcement
remains a challenge.

· Deepening democratic governance.

· Enhancing bilateral and multilateral relationships especially on south-south cooperation at the
international front. Examples are benefits from Cooperation with China and participation in all
activities of regional groupings such as ECOWAS, NEPAD and AU.

Question 7

How can the link between Science, Education and Policy be strengthened to address the new and
emerging challenges especially those identified above?

Answer

The government of Ghana believes that strengthening the link between Science, Education and Policy
is very important if the new and emerging challenges especially those identified above are to be
addressed. Strengthening this link should involve:

· Providing funds for policy based research, especially those that border on development
· Facilitating that researchers make their findings more user-friendly through the development
of policy briefs.

· Making conscious efforts to disseminate findings in simple language to the beneficiaries

· Re-structuring the academic system to groom students and to prepare them to take up positions
in industry as well developing courses that meets the labour market. Even though there has been
expansion of technical education (middle level manpower), it has not adequately addressed the
human resource gap at the District level. This is basically due to the unfavorable working
conditions (salaries, accommodation etc.) at the District level which results in low turnover.

Question 8

How can international support be harnessed effectively to address these challenges?

Answer

A major challenge facing the country is how to harness international support effectively to address
these challenges. Many efforts have been made in the past to harness international support effectively
for development. However the results are not as expected. Where results are achieved, conditionalities
make it extremely difficult to realize the full benefits of the support. To effectively address this issue
and consequently harness international support we recommend the following:

· Sector-wide approach towards funding (SWAP) where funds go directly to the sector with the
Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning only acting as a facilitator

· It is incumbent on Ghana to identify possible sources of funding

· Ghana should build the capacity of experts to develop proposals to meet criteria set-up for
assessing funds

Question 9

Do the new and emerging challenges pose fundamental risks to the prospects of economic growth and
development of your country?

Answer

It is very evident that these new and emerging challenges pose fundamental risks to the prospects of
economic growth and development in Ghana. Research indicates that the cost of environmental
degradation is about 6% of GDP. This is practically evidenced in many communities now. Many
people in Ghana, especially rural communities depend on the environment for their livelihood.
Unfortunately, these resources are being depleted and degraded and their sustainable use is no longer
ensured.

Question 10

How can the risk to the poor and other vulnerable populations be addressed?

Answer

Ghana has a good knowledge of how the risk to the poor and other vulnerable populations should be
addressed. These have been explicitly discussed in the GSGDA. Establishment of woodlots for wood
fuel, timber and other wood needs by farmers is also a major way of averting the risk to the poor and
vulnerable. Furthermore developing pro-poor strategies that are consistent with national development
policy/agenda is very imperative.

Questionnaire D: Green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty

Question 1

Is there a consensus among policy makers in your country on the meaning of the term green economy
in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication? If so, how is it defined? [If
relevant, please provide any official publications or analytical studies on the concept of green economy
or its operational or social implications, together with a short abstract.
Answer

Green economy is an omnibus term like sustainable development but it nevertheless comprises
economic policies and instruments to harness economic activities in a given country in support of one
or more of its sustainable development goals.

Policy makers in Ghana have officially not come into consensus on the meaning of the term green
economy. However, there is a general understanding that Green economy or green growth pathways
seek convergence between the social, economic and environmental pillars of sustainable development.

The concept should also reflect the goals of the countrys National Sustainable Development Strategies
(NSDSs), the Millennium Development goals and should have a generally integrative policy and
planning direction in relevant sectors, particularly pro poor approaches, sustainable urban management
and a programme for sustainable consumption and production.

From a Ghanaian perspective, transformation to a green economy means having sustainable recourse
for policy direction in specific sectors such as energy, transport, agriculture, urban environmental
management and infrastructure- roads, buildings and industrial installations.

Question 2

What are the main examples of green economy policies that are currently in place in your country?

Answer

Ghana has undertaken several green economic policies over the years. Government since 2005 has
been undertaking consultations on how to green the national budget. In the area of energy, energy
efficiency programmes such as opting for renewable choices, retrofitting existing buildings and other
infrastructure to make them more energy efficient has been undertaken. The country has also provided
support for research and development on environmentally friendly technologies using the Energy Fund.
In the area of forestry there has been substantial public investment to restore, maintain and enhance the
stock of natural capital. Incentives have also been provided for the private sector to invest in green
sectors, especially forestry. The government has also undertaken subsidy reform, pricing of pollution,
public procurement all in an effort to green the economy.

Question 3

What economic sectors do you consider to be most important to building a green economy in the
context of sustainable development and poverty eradication?

Answer

Ghana is now a net emitter of carbon dioxide even though its contribution in global terms is
insignificant. With the emergence of the oil and gas sector, the country needs to strategize properly in
order to escape the problems associated with oil economies, especially in Africa. It is perceived that
investment in agriculture including forestry, energy, transport, energy, urban environmental
management and infrastructure - roads, buildings and industrial installations are the areas around which
the green economy should be built in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication?

Question 4

What green economy policies would you rate to be most effective? Please give reasons

Answer

Based on the specific needs of the country the following green economic policies would be rated as the
most effective:

1. Policies of energy efficiency such as opting for renewable choices, retrofitting existing
buildings and other infrastructure. This is due to the fact that improving energy efficiency will
reduce wastage and all things being equal reduce production cost of firm, household
expenditure on energy, reduce use of biomass for fuel and importation of petroleum products.

2. Policies that provide targeted support for research and development on environmentally friendly
technologies. In agriculture, emphasis can be in the area of improved varieties that can with
stand Climate change and agricultural modernization. Clear policies on the dissemination and
use of research findings are also very imperative. This is due to the fact that research and
technology play a major role in the transition to green economy.

3. Policies that ensure substantial public investments in the restoration, maintenance and
enhancement of natural capital, especially forest, lands, water bodies, etc.. This is due to the fact
that the economy of Ghana depends mainly of natural resources and therefore the maintenance
of these resources is very important for sustainable development.

4. Policies that ensure mass transportation use, example the Bus Rapid Transit System and the
provision of bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways in urban areas. Policies that introduce
progressive tax regimes for transportation fuels is also very imperative. This will reduce the
current situation where every household strives to own a vehicle and consequently the reduction
of emissions.

Question 5

How have those policies contributed to poverty eradication, other specific sustainable development
goals?

Answer

Already there are some visible benefits of transitioning to the green economy. Ideal this would have
been to quantify these benefits in monetary terms. Unfortunately Ghana is not in the position to do that
now. In the next section the benefits in the areas of economics, social and environmental will be
qualitatively discussed.

Economic Benefit

An obvious benefit of the green economy is that it can lead to ecological tax reforms. This means that
taxes may gradually be shifted away from labour to the environmental bads. This will allow the
burden of tax to fall more on polluter and to some extent encourage the polluter pay principle.
Energy efficiency improvements can reduce cost to firms and household expenditure on energy. If
these savings are channeled to productive sectors of the economy, they can spur growth. Mass and
efficient transport systems will reduce cost and time of transportation and consequently increase
incomes. Energy production, transportation and utilization often result in losses and much wastage.
Reducing these losses through green economic policies energy efficiency has led to some economic
benefits. Furthermore improvement in research and technology will ensure efficiency and lead to
increase in productivity which will benefit the average Ghanaian. Restoration and improvement of
natural capital will ensure the continuous existence of the resources and constant flow of income since
many Ghanaians depend on natural resources for their survival.

Environmental Benefit

A gradual introduction of ecological taxes may reduce pollution for the common good while the
restoration of natural capital especially forest will positively affect sustainable development since they
act as sinks for carbon. Mass transport systems and other efficient transport modes will reduce emission
which will have positive health implications on the environment in general. Research and development
and the introduction of technologies have also reduced resource use in many areas.

Social Benefit

Green economy policies have led to the introduction of higher taxes on fuel for private cars used by the
affluent and individuals compared to taxes on fuel used by commercial vehicles which is usually used
by the poor. This is helping to bridge the inequality in the economy and consequently leading to social
harmony.

The transition to a green economy is also helping governments to reshape and redirect policies,
investments and spending in key sectors such as clean technologies, renewable energies, water services,
green transportation, waste management and sustainable agriculture and forests that benefit the poor.
The transition to a green economy does not only seek coherence between the three pillars of sustainable
development but also mitigates developmental challenges such as Climate change and consequently
benefits the poor.

Question 6

What in your view are the principal reasons for their success?

Answer

The principal reasons for their success are the availability of relevant institutional or technical capacity,
moderate political support, broad engagement of business and civil society and international support in
order of decreasing importance.

Question 7

What steps and actions have proven effective in building political and popular ownership for green
economy measures?

Answer

There exist a plethora of actions that have proven effective in building political and popular ownership
for green economy measures. These include:

Are there studies for your country that identify success factors, challenges or risks associated with
green economy policies identified under Question 1? For each, kindly provide the original article or
web link, and a short abstract.

Answer

Currently there may be no study specifically focusing on green economy though there are studies that
assess some of the policies that have implication on green economy.

Question 9

Based on all of the above, what is (are) the key outcome(s) you think could emerge from the UN
Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012 with respect to a green economy in the context of
sustainable development and poverty eradication?

Answer

Countries will focus more on areas of green economy where they think they have interest without
reference to whether the overall impact on their actions on international environmental management
will be significant or not.

Question 10

What is the relationship of green economy policies to other policies and policy domain (e.g. Poverty,
growth, employment, trade, etc.)? Are there cases of conflict and if so, how have these been
addressed?

Answer

Green economy policies is likely to have some marginal negative impact on other policies and policy
domain (e.g. Poverty, growth, employment, trade, etc.) in the short term but the impact may tapper off
in the long run with right complementary policies. For example the introduction of emission charges
may lead to an increase in transport fares which can affect all sectors of the economy since transport is
an intermediary input to all production processes. Addressing this issue could be the use of revenue
from emission charges to replace growth-inhibiting taxes on capital.

There are many challenges confronting the nation in its quest to transitioning to green economy. These
among others include:

· The high initial cost of investment for transition to green sectors and activities appear to be
beyond the reach of many developing countries e.g. solar power for rural communities

· A shift to a green economy or onto a green growth path requires major structural changes in
energy and transportation systems which are dependent on infrastructure. Technical and financial
assistance is needed for the transition

· The social dimensions, especially poverty issues are sometimes not adequately covered in
policy prescriptions on green economy. Some of these policy prescriptions may satisfy external
conditions and standards but may not have favorable impacts on the lives of the citizenry if care for
the domestic circumstances is not taken. A lot of sacrifices will have to be made by the poor if
complementary policies are not poverty-reducing enough

· Commitment to transform to a green economy, enforcement of regulations, mobilizing
investments, strengthening the human resource base and embarking on effective research and
development efforts are all real life challenges confronting the transition to green economy.

· Perceived green economy policies in Ghana are policies derived from the master development
policy of government i.e. the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA). While
green economy growth paths are intended to set the direction for decades, if not generations to
come, the GSGDA spans for the period 2010-2013. The challenge is to develop a long term plan.

Questionnaire E: Institutional framework for sustainable development

Question 1

Are there examples whether in the sustainable development domain or in related policy domains [ e.g.,
MDGs, other], where an effective institutional framework has contributed to significant positive
outcomes at national level? International level?

Answer

Yes there are both effective international and local institutional frameworks that have contributed to
significant positive outcomes. At the national level the development and implementation of the GPRS 1
could be an example while at the international level, mention could be made of the implementation of
Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone layer and its Amendments.

Specifically, the GPRS I was formulated and implemented by the Government of Ghana from 2003-
2006 though there were direct and indirect donor influence Implementation. There exist several
evidence both at the micro and at the macro levels that suggest that the formulation and implementation
of the framework was very successful. It has been argued that the success can be attributed to
international support and good will, government leadership and commitment and the goodwill and
support of the people of Ghana

At the international level the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone layer and its
Amendments provide an example of an international agreement that has been successfully negotiated
and implemented. Reasons attributed to this success are the availability of cheap alternative to the use
of CFCs. Many have also argued that the leadership role played by the USA in the implementation of
the convention contributed significantly to the success of the Convention. Critiques have also argued
that the comparative advantage of the USA in the production of alternatives to CFCs allowed them to
ply that major role in the implementation of the convention.

Question 2

How can the lessons from such successes enhance the effectiveness of the institutional framework for
sustainable development? Are there lessons relevant to the commission on sustainable development?

Answer

Many important lessons can be drawn from these examples and it is very important that the
Commission on Sustainable Development learn from these lessons. Specifically, the Commission on
Sustainable Development should realize that:

· International support and goodwill is needed to fight the many environmental challenges that
confront the world today. For example the success story of GPRS 1 can partly be attributed to
the diverse support received from development partners.

· Effective communication and participation of all and sundry is very important rather than a
situation where parties are marginalized.

· Strong leadership role and commitment is very important. The strong leadership role played by
the major producer of CFC - USA, Japan and China, especially the USA contributed
significantly to the implementation of the convention.

· Making technology cheap and available to the poor communities who need it most

· Making financial resources availability and on time is imperative

· Commitment of Local Government to strengthen institutions including the passage and
effective implementation of relevant legislations is very important .

Question 3

How can the lessons from such successes be used to enhance the effectiveness of international
environmental governance/policy guidance?

Answer

The Commission on Sustainable Development can enhance the effectiveness of international
environmental governance/policy guidance by ensuring that these lessons are taken on board in all
negotiation. more clearer, stricter and quantitative monitoring and exaltation indicators should be
developed to assess performance. Additionally, a strong leadership commitment to address issues at
both international and local levels is imperative. Providing enabling environment for private sector and
local level participation is also imperative.

Question 3

What in your experience has been the most effective means of strengthening major groups and other
relevant stakeholders participation in national sustainable development efforts?

Answer

There exist many ways of strengthening major groups and other relevant stakeholders participation in
national sustainable development efforts. However, the following measures will have a more positive
impact:

· Developing their capacity to engage government and to participate in national dialogue and
issues

· Creating the enabling policy environment within which they can participate efficiently and
effectively

· Directly facilitating their access to resources through various sources of funding with the view
to making them fully independent from government.

Question 4

What are the most significant challenges facing international institutions charged with promoting
sustainable development in Ghana?

Answer

Many international institutions charged with promoting sustainable development in Ghana sometimes
fail to make the requisite impact. This can be attributed to:

· lack of requisite and relevant information

· reluctance of these institutions to taken into consideration the socio-cultural context when
fashioning out programmes to ensure compatibility. For example any attempt to undertake
land tenure reforms that does not take into consideration the socio-cultural context may fail due
to the complex land ownership system.

· Inadequate and unpredictable flow of funds which usually lead to suboptimal investment and
consequently makes it difficult for the country to realize the benefits of the investments

· Poor and ineffective Institutional coordination mechanism that leads to duplication of efforts
and consequently ineffective use of funds

In general, the one-size-fit-all approach to development that has been adopted by many institutions
does not offer a vivid solution to the many developmental challenges.

Question 5

What are the most significant challenges facing national institutions charged with promoting
sustainable development in your country?

Answer

Like international institutions, local institutions charged with promoting sustainable development in
Ghana also have challenges that make it difficult for them to make the requisite impact. These
challenges include:

· Unavailability of requisite and relevant information

· Perpetual donor dependency

· Inadequate flow of funds which usually lead to suboptimal investment and consequently
makes it difficult for the country to realize the benefits of the investments

· Poor and ineffective Institutional coordination mechanisms that lead to duplication of efforts
and consequently ineffective use of funds

· Unavailability of relevant capacity

· Poor work environment and benefits

Question 6

What decisions should UNCSD aim to reach on the institutional framework for sustainable
development? What are the main risks threatening a successful UNCSD outcome on the institutional
framework?

Answer

Evidently, the institutional framework for sustainable development is diverse, largely uncoordinated to
ensure synergies and relatively ineffective. This had led to the duplication of efforts and ineffective
resources use and can weaken the UN system. We will therefore suggest the creation of the Inter-
Agency Coordination for Sustainable Development and the High Level Advisory Board on Sustainable
Development to address these issues.